Aplodactylus arctidens Richardson 1839

Aplodactylus arctidens Richardson

(®gures 1, 2)

Aplodactylus arctidens Richardson, 1839: 96 (type locality, Tasmania).

Sciñna mñandratus Solander ms in Richardson, 1842: 83 (type locality, Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand).

Aplodactylus meandratus: Richardson, 1843: 16.

Sciñna meandrata: Parkinson ms in Richardson, 1843: 16 (name in synonymy).

Sciñna mñandrata: Banks (sic) ms in Richardson and Grey, 1843: 207 (name in synonymy).

Sciñna mñandrites: Solander ms in Richardson and Grey, 1843: 207 (name in synonymy).

Haplodactylus arctidens: GuÈnther, 1859: 435.

Dactylosargus arctidens: Gill, 1862: 112.

Dactylosargus meandratus: Gill, 1862: 112.

Haplodactylus donaldii Haast, 1873: 272, pl. 16 uppermost ®gure (type locality, Lyttelton, New Zealand).

Haplodactylus meandratus: Hector, 1875: 239.

Parhaplodactylus marmoratus Thominot 1883: 140 (type locality, Tasmania).

Haplodactylus schauinslandii Steindachner, 1900a: 174 (type locality, New Zealand).

Aplodactylus schauinslandii: Phillipps 1927: 13.

Material examined. Thirty-nine specimens. AustraliaÐVictoria: Bell’s Beach, AMS I.16980-016, 4: 350±360 mm. South Australia: Beachport, SAM F. 7512, 445.5mm *; Waitpinga, SAM F- 5306, 282.7 mm *; Kangaroo Island, Penneshaw, AMS I.20180-063, 255 mm. Tasmania: MNHN A. 7422, 474 mm (HOLOTYPE of Parhaplodactylu s marmoratus); Green’s Beach, USNM 227306, 187 mm; USNM 227307, 2: 317±335.3 mm; Badger head, USNM 227304, 273.4 mm; Port Arthur, BMNH 1841.1.14.23, 498 mm (HOLOTYPE of Aplodactylus arctidens). New Zealand: Kaipara Harbour, MNOZ P. 3689, 285 mm *; Tapotupotu Bay, MONZ P. 13184, 360 mm; Mount Maunganui, Rabbit I., MONZ P. 18306, 290 mm *; East Cape, Waiaka, MONZ P. 23397, 290 mm *, P. 23402, 330 mm; New Plymouth, MONZ P. 1263, 176.5 mm, Post O ce Rock, MONZ P. 17097, 350 mm *; Wellington Harbour, MONZ P. 1043, 370 mm *; Mana I., MONZ P. 1454, 420 mm *, Palliser Bay, MONZ P. 1595, 410 mm *; D’ Urville I., Rakirua Rocks, MONZ P. 24714, 320 mm *; Queen Charlotte Sound, CMNZ 1715, 157.5 mm; Banks Peninsula, Lyttleton, CMNZ 2084, 174.5 mm *, Ohahoa Bay, CMNZ 1685, 5: 109.5±201.5 mm *, CMNZ 1722, 101 mm *; Dunedin, BMNH 1886.11.18.7, 328 mm; Fiordland, Balleny Reef, MONZ P. 19812, 310 mm *; Chatham I., Te Raki Bay, MONZ P. 26522, 380 mm *, Point Durham, MONZ 26578 420 mm *, Nancy Sound, MONZ P. 16848, 400 mm *, outer Southerland Sound, MONZ P. 21128, 265 mm *; Breaker Bay, MONZ P. 19650, 560 mm *.

Description. Dorsal-®n rays XVI±IX, 16±18; anal-®n rays III, 6±8; pectoral-®n rays i, 13±14; lateral-line scales 100±120; gill rakers 4±8 1 11±15 5 17±22; vertebrae 16 1 18 5 34; epipleural ribs on ®rst 14±15 vertebrae.

Body elongate, greatest depth 3.3±4.7 in SL; head length 3.8±4.8 in SL; snout short, 2.5±3.6 in head; dorsal pro®le of head rounded; orbital diameter 4.4±6.8 in head; interorbital space more or less straight or slightly convex medially, least width of interorbital 3.4±5.8 in head; least depth of caudal peduncle 1.8 ±2.7 in head; peduncle length 2.1±4.0 in head; base of dorsal ®n long, with elongate notch between spinous and soft parts of ®n, basal length of soft dorsal ® n 1.2 ±1.5 in length of spinous part; anal ®n short, basal length 1.9±2.7 in head; pectoral ®n length 0.9±1.6 in head, ventral-most ®ve to six rays simple, ¯eshy; pelvic ®n length 1.2±1.9 in head, rays ¯eshy.

Mouth small, somewhat ventral on head; lips ¯eshy, upper lip projecting, maxilla reaching a vertical through posterior nostril; teeth small, mainly tricuspid, a few lanceolate, in three to four rows in jaws, outermost row of teeth largest; vomerine teeth in small patch; two pairs of nostrils, anterior pair with ¯eshy tentaculate ¯aps on anteroventral margin and posteroventral margin; opercle with broad ¯at spine which does not extend to the ¯eshy margin; scales small, cycloid, embedded, extending on to cheeks and opercles, and forming a sheath along base of spinous dorsal ®n.

Colour in alcohol. Dark brownish, with paler reticulated markings over body and ®ns, except for ventral surface which is pale.

Colour in life. Variable from grey to greenish brown with variable whitish blotches and reticulations.

Distribution. Southern Australia, including Tasmania, from Kangaroo Island (South Australia) to Wilsons Promontory (Victoria) (Turner and Norman, 1998); New Zealand (North and South Island, and Chatham Island); and Snares Islands (Hardy, 1986). Common in seaweed-covered reef areas down to about 20 m.

Remarks. Aplodactylus arctidens was originally described from Tasmania by Richardson (1839). However, he later applied the name Sciaena (5 Aplodactylus) maeandratus (Richardson, 1842) based on Solander’s ms name and Parkinson’s ®gure of a specimen from New Zealand (no longer extant) collected during Cook’s voyage (Whitehead, 1968). Other synonyms are Haplodactylus donaldii Haast from New Zealand; Parhaplodactylu s marmoratus Thominot from Tasmania (Bauchot and Desoutter, 1989); and Haplodactylus schauinslandii Steindachner from New Zealand, the description of which ®rst appeared in an abstract (Steindachner, 1900a) that was issued ahead of the full description and plate of this species (Steindachner, 1900b). Haplodactylus fergussoni Hector is not a species of Aplodactylus, and has been referred to the synonomy of Chironemus marmoratus (family Chironemidae) by McCulloch (1929).

Aplodactylus arctidens is readily distinguishable from other species of Aplodactylus by its reticulate pattern of pale markings on the body and ®ns.

Attains a maximum size of about 65 cm; A. arctidens is an algal grazer with red algae dominating in the diet (Russell, 1983; Choat and Clements, 1992). A poor food ®sh,`its ¯esh is coarse, with a rank ¯avour’ (Hector, 1875). Commonly known as Seacarp (Australia), Marble®sh or Kehei (New Zealand).